Wed Feb 05 08:56:38 UTC 2025: ## Middlesbrough Residents Say Root Causes of Racist Violence Remain Unaddressed After Recent Riots
**Middlesbrough, UK** – The aftermath of last year’s anti-Muslim riots in Middlesbrough continues to reverberate through the community, with residents stating that underlying issues of racism and discrimination remain unresolved. The riots, part of a wider wave of racist violence across the UK, saw incidents such as a group of white men setting up a makeshift checkpoint to interrogate drivers about their ethnicity.
Shazia Noor Ghani, founder of Nur Fitness, a community organization supporting women of colour, described the overwhelming fear felt by Muslim women during the riots, fielding countless calls from terrified individuals. This experience, she says, highlighted the disproportionate impact of Islamophobia on visibly Muslim women.
The violence, fueled by online disinformation blaming a fictitious Muslim immigrant for a unrelated triple murder, followed a pattern of anti-Muslim attacks in Middlesbrough. Shahla Khan, a lifelong resident, recounted recent instances of racial abuse, highlighting that the racism persists even after the initial riots subsided. She criticized politicians and the media for failing to address the spread of discriminatory narratives.
The town’s history is marred by similar incidents, including the 1961 Cannon Street riots and the 2011 racist assault of taxi driver Mohammed Zabir, who later died of a heart attack. While not directly linked, his death further traumatized the community.
Amjid Khazir, who founded Media Cultured to counter racist narratives through film and education, criticized the government’s £655,000 ($813,000) funding for community projects as a “sticking plaster solution,” arguing that it fails to address the root causes of division. Ghani echoed this sentiment, highlighting the lack of support for victims and the limited resources available to combat racism.
While the mosque has taken initiative, providing a food bank that largely benefits non-Muslim residents, Gohar Ihsan, chairman of the Middlesbrough Central Mosque, stressed the importance of dialogue and addressing material needs to foster community harmony. Despite acts of defiance and anger among young Muslims during the riots, the overarching feeling is that meaningful, long-term solutions are desperately needed to tackle the deep-seated racism in Middlesbrough. The town, one of England’s most deprived, sees a correlation between economic hardship and the manifestation of prejudice, further complicating efforts towards reconciliation and lasting change.
First Piper 